Caleb Williams is probably not going to be Patrick Mahomes.
After winning three Super Bowls in his first six seasons as a starter, the standard set by Mahomes is one that even most Hall of Fame-caliber quarterbacks haven't reached — just ask Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees. That doesn't mean some certain quarterbacks don't have significant similarities to the Chiefs star.
Part of what makes Mahomes so special is his ability to turn nothing into something, whether with his arm or his legs. Even a third-and-25 isn't enough for an opposing defense to feel comfortable against Mahomes, and the hope in Chicago is that Williams will strike the same fear into defenses.
The Bears aren't expecting Williams to make the same impact Mahomes did in his first season as an NFL starter, but there are reasons to believe he can bring some of Mahomes' best traits to the table.
Here's a look at why Williams has drawn comparisons to Mahomes leading up to his NFL debut.
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Why Caleb Williams is compared to Patrick Mahomes
Williams started earning Mahomes comparisons during his journey to the Heisman Trophy at USC in 2022. While his final collegiate season wasn't quite as dominant, those flashes were still there for the Trojans quarterback.
Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill might not play with Mahomes any longer, but he poured fuel onto the fire during Williams' second preseason game by hinting the No. 1 pick reminds him of his former teammate.
Some of those flashes have been evident in the preseason, including in this throw to Rome Odunze. Williams evades pressure, moves to his left, and sends a perfect ball Odunze's way while on the move.
Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of Mahomes' game for opposing defenses is the way he pairs his mobility with his ridiculous arm. He's not Lamar Jackson, but he can keep plays alive and burn defenses with his legs. That's exactly what Williams does here, evading defenders and remaining confident until the coast was clear to take the ball into the end zone himself.
This is exactly the type of play that Mahomes would pull off to leave an NFL defense completely deflated.
A play like this in a loss to Oregon is a reminder of why USC's record wasn't held against Williams leading up to the NFL Draft.
Williams' ability to not only keep this play alive, but fire a dart for a completion started to drum up Mahomes comparisons in 2022.
Where have we seen this before?
Williams poured cold water on the Mahomes comparison when asked about Hill's tweet, telling reporters that he's content being himself.
"It's respect, you know, it's cool and all, but I'm Caleb Williams, Patrick Mahomes is Patrick Mahomes," the Bears QB said earlier in August.
Williams was much more open to the comparison in 2022, when he told reporters , "Obviously, [Mahomes is] special, but I don’t think there’s anything that I can’t do that he’s doing out there."
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Sustaining success like Mahomes has and winning three Super Bowls is nearly impossible, but if there is a comparison to be made, it's exactly what Williams described nearly two years ago: many of those highlight-reel moments from Mahomes are undisputedly in Williams' repertoire, as he showed at USC.
That's not all it takes to be the best quarterback in the NFL, though. Making the right plays in the more mundane moments of a game could help elevate the Bears rookie closer to Mahomes' level of excellence, and the 2024 season will be the first indication of whether Williams can do both.
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